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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26370781">Electromagnetic</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/tamethespaghetti/pseuds/tamethespaghetti'>tamethespaghetti</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Redline (Anime), Trava: Fist Planet (Anime)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Based on the pilot for episode 2, F/M, Implied Relationships, M/M, Trava smoking is my kink, Unrequited Love, post episode 1, rip this fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:20:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,528</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26370781</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/tamethespaghetti/pseuds/tamethespaghetti</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Fist Planet is alive with excitement and amidst the electric lights and music, Mikuru speaks with the two men who saved her back in the vast emptiness of space.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Shinkai/Mikuru, Trava/Shinkai</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Electromagnetic</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mikuru navigated through the crowded club, head held high and on a swivel, scanning the masses. Lights and music and people filled every inch of the nightclub and she was beginning to worry that’d she never find the man she was here to find. And these tinted glasses weren’t helping. She took them off and placed them gently in the pocket of her coat before they got knocked of her face by a wayward elbow of any of the numerous people dancing drunkenly on the dance floor.  </p>
<p>These glasses had been a present from a very special Giant and she didn’t want them to break. </p>
<p>Now with un-tinted vision she looked around again and as luck had it, she recognized a blue-furred man sitting at the bar chatting it up with a pretty, longhaired girl of some humanoid species. She slipped through the crowd and tapped him on the shoulder.</p>
<p>“Mind if I join you?” she asked, raising her voice to be heard over the chatter and loud music. Trava turned to look up at her and she smiled at his surprise. </p>
<p>“Ah, Princess! What a pleasant surprise,” he grinned up at her. Mikuru gave the humanoid female a look and she got the hint and vacated the area, but not before giving Mikuru an angry glare. Mikuru rolled her eyes, as if she’d be threatened by that tiny girl. </p>
<p>“Want me to order you a drink?” Trava asked as she slid into the now vacated seat beside him.</p>
<p>“No, I’m fine for now,” she replied and watched Trava take a generous gulp from his own toxic colored drink. She hadn’t expected him to be the type to drink fruity cocktails, but then she remembered that she hadn’t stuck around long enough to really get to know Trava and his partner. </p>
<p>“Shinkai’s up on the roof. You should go say hi to him,” Trava said as he put his drink down. She looked at him curiously, finding the pink tint that rested high on his cheeks to be quite charming. She wondered how many brightly colored drinks he’d already consumed tonight.</p>
<p>“Are you trying to get rid of me so soon?” she said playfully.</p>
<p>“Definitely not, you’re totally the hottest girl here right now,” Trava replied smoothly, giving her a look that she was sure had worked on countless girls before. She giggled. But then some of his bravado dropped and Trava almost looked genuine when he said, “But I know how much he misses you.”</p>
<p>She nodded but didn’t say anything back. There wasn’t anything to say.</p>
<p>Trava pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit one. The smell of smoke quickly permeated the air around them, mixing with the preexisting odor of high-end-high-fructose alcohol and body glitter. The smoke smelt like a small ship in the furthest corner of the known universe. It smelt like a daydream.</p>
<p>“You never said goodbye,” Trava said as he exhaled, his words tinged with cigarette ash and nothing else. Again, she nodded. There was so much to say but none of it seemed extremely necessary. That was in the past and they were firmly rooted in the present, two very different people. </p>
<p>Trava took another drag of his cigarette and she watched the lights from the dance floor reflect off his leather jacket, covering him with electric pinks and blues and just a hint of red. Trava seemed more self-assured than she remembered, and more level headed, less joking and more serious. Like the mysterious, sweet-talking boy you’d meet at the bar that had a checkered past and looked good in leather. Then again, she’d only ever seen him in the comfort of his ship and in the company of an amnesic girl and his long-time partner. So who knew, maybe he was always like this. She did however, kind of miss his crop top. </p>
<p>“Did you ever thank him for the knowledge transfer?” Trava asked, words burning and turning to black-gray smoke, and finally Mikuru knew she had to say something. </p>
<p>“Of course,” she replied, casual yet measured so Trava wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between her words and the full truth.</p>
<p>“Good, good,” Trava replied with a smile and he looked at her, a simmering glow reflecting off his brown eyes, “because Shinkai won’t give that stuff away very easily.”</p>
<p>“I remember you mentioning that.”</p>
<p>“Back in the military, knowledge transfers weren’t super uncommon between mechanics. Even some pilots did it, not me thought, all my skills are 100% home grown,” his smile widened and she fed him an of course before he continue, “Our trainer was the first one who asked for a copy of Shinkai’s knowledge, and ho boy was he an ass about it. Never seen Shinkai get so worked up about anything either,” Trava was looking past her now, at something she’d never witnessed and never would, “First time I saw Shinkai land a punch too. It was fucking awesome. Broke the fucker’s nose or some shit.”</p>
<p>“I find that hard to believe,” she said with a smirk, which Trava returned.</p>
<p>“Yeah, he’s a wuss. But it really did happen,” Trava turned back to his drink and took a smaller, more measure sip this time. </p>
<p>They let the loud music fill the silence between them for a few minutes before Mikuru asked, “Did Planet Fable’s force stick around with you and Shinkai?</p>
<p>“Oh wouldn’t you like to know.”</p>
<p>“Being cryptic are we?”</p>
<p>“No, just drunk as shit,” Trava admitted as he finished off his drink. She noticed that the tips of his ears were tinted pink as well. Well, wasn’t that cute.</p>
<p>“I might tell you for a kiss though.” </p>
<p>She snorted, “I think not.”</p>
<p>“Fine, your loss,” Trava said with a shrug and rested his dying cigarette between his lips. </p>
<p>“I’m sure it is,” she said. She pushed herself up and elegantly stood up from the stool. Trava watched her movements with a vested interests and she remembered to pull her dress down a bit. It always seemed to ride up.</p>
<p>“Where are you going?” he asked.</p>
<p>“Up to the roof,” she was about to walk away, but then thought better of it, “Want to be gentleman and give me a smoke to go?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, sure,” he pulled out this pack of cigarettes and hand one to her. She took it and placed it daintily in between her lips, and then she leaned forward to let Trava light it for her. Once a tiny orange flamed ignited at the tip of the cigarette she stood back up and took a deep breath in.</p>
<p>“Be nice to him.”</p>
<p>She exhaled, “I will.”</p>
<p>“Good, good,” Trava said with a nod, and then turned back to the bar, “See you in the arena, Princess. Don’t cry when I beat the ass of your Giant.”</p>
<p>She smiled and patted him on the back, “You wish.”</p>
<p>~*~</p>
<p>The air was electric here. The atmosphere was alive with excitement, from the competitors and the fans, and even the planet itself seemed to exude a sense of energized stimulation that seemed almost innate. Like this place had been positioned in the universe for the sole purpose of sustaining an atmosphere of endless stimulation. Or maybe a universe-wide power-fighting tournament was enough to awaken any planet. </p>
<p>Even late into the night none of the excitement had gone down and the planet felt just as alive as it had since he and Trava had gotten here. It seemed like this must be an exhausting place to live, but as a visitor, Shinkai had to admit it was hard not to get caught up in the energy here. Long and tedious planet marking missions through some of the emptiest pockets of space had definitely made Shinkai much more appreciative of big, lively groups of people. </p>
<p>And up here, at the edge of the rooftop balcony of this huge hotel, Shinkai drank it all in. He didn’t know of they’d ever get than chance to do something this exciting ever again, and life had made him very appreciative of moments like this. </p>
<p>“Mind if I join you?” a familiar voice broke through his thoughts. A shiver went up his spine as that voice, sweet as honey, forcibly dragged up thoughts and feelings that Shinkai had pushed down for years. </p>
<p>He turned around and watched Mikuru waltz over to him, hips swaying back and forth in a mesmerizing fashion. She looked elegant, illuminated by the glow of the city, pink and yellow lights dancing over her pale skin, brilliant pink hair and those iridescent green eyes. A gentle breeze came out of nowhere and played with the loose fabric of her long coat. Shinkai tried not to stare at her, but the short evening dress she wore underneath her coat made that task supremely hard.</p>
<p>“Of course not,” Shinkai finally remembered to reply and the smile Mikuru flashed his way let him know that she could tell just what her presence did to him. No matter how hard Shinkai tried to hide it.</p>
<p>She stopped beside him and leaned against the railing. He watched her lift a cigarette to her full, pink lips and take a long, deep, inhalation. Her chin was tilted up, creating a enticing line of movement that Shinkai’s eyes followed thoroughly until his eyes rested on her chest that expanded devilishly with each inhalation, drawing that perfect chest forward as if to put it on display. </p>
<p>Shinkai felt himself get lost in the sheer shock of seeing her again, compounded by her unfathomable beauty that his memory and imagination had failed to do justice these past few years. And then she exhaled, and if Shinkai had been paying attention to the smoke that left her lips, and not the perfect pucker those pink lips made, then he would have noticed now quickly the smoke got lost into the night sky and the lights that lived there. </p>
<p>But then he recognized the smell of the cigarette she was smoking and it was the same brand that Trava used. It wasn’t a coincidence and that realization helped him clear his head. With much difficulty he pulled his eye off of her and looked back down at the city beneath.</p>
<p>“It’s nice to see you again,” he said. </p>
<p>“It is, isn’t it?” she replied.</p>
<p>“Have you been doing alright?”</p>
<p>“I’m doing great Shinkai, stop being so awkward.” </p>
<p>Shinkai cringed, yeah, he didn’t deny that, but he also couldn’t help it, “It’s been a while, okay?”</p>
<p>“I know.”</p>
<p>A beat of silence passed by and before Shinkai’s frantic brain could come up with anything logical and not cringe-y to say, Mikuru asked, “Have you and Trava keeping busy?”</p>
<p>“It only took a few more jobs to get enough money for the entry fee,” Shinkai replied simply, trying not to remember how easily some of those jobs could have gone bad. But hard jobs paid better and if they had wanted to get the entry fee paid in time, there hadn’t been any other option, as Trava had reminded Shinkai so very often.  </p>
<p>“How is life as a princess?” </p>
<p>“Kinda boring actually,” she said and out of the corner of his eye Shinkai watched her lips push out into a small pout. He committed that to memory.</p>
<p>“I have much more fun being a mechanic,” she continued. Shinkai allowed himself to lose to the magnetism that she had ensnared him with from the moment he first laid eyes on her, and he turn back to look at her full on and the smile on her lips was blinding. He couldn’t help but smile back. </p>
<p>“Putting the knowledge I transferred to you to good use?” he asked because he really, truly hoped she had. </p>
<p>She nodded, but the smile fell from her lips. She brought the cigarette up to her lips again and Shinkai had to look away again. The city lights look dim now, in comparison to Mikuru. </p>
<p>“Hey Shinkai,” she said after a moment of silence. Her voice sounded heavy and he loved it.</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>“I feel like I never got the chance to really thank you for what you did for me.”</p>
<p>Out of the corner of his eye Shinkai could see her run a slim finger over the scar across the bridge of her nose and if she was anything like Trava, Shinkai was sure the movement was unconscious. </p>
<p>“It was Trava who pulled your escape pod out of space,” he reminded her, “not me.”</p>
<p>A small huff was brought forth from those perfect lips before she replied, “I’m talking about the knowledge transfer, you idiot.” </p>
<p>“Oh, right.”</p>
<p>“Thank you.”</p>
<p>“You’re welcome.”</p>
<p>“I’m not going to give you a kiss to pay you back.”</p>
<p>Shinkai choked on, well, nothing. That hadn’t been the exact thought that had just been crossing his mind, but it was pretty damn close. Close enough that he was definitely going to look up if female Giants had mind reading powers. Or maybe Mikuru could simply read him too well. Either way, he tried not clear his throat and Mikuru in all her infinite perfection waited until he’d regained his composure to continue. </p>
<p>“You’ve already got someone right?” she said, her voice sweet and understanding and void of any mockery. Shinkai was ready to refute that remark, but the knowing look she gave him made him understand that it would be useless. </p>
<p>“Yes,” he admitted, “but you’re much less annoying.”</p>
<p>Her perfect lips twitched up into a smirk, “And hotter?”</p>
<p>“Definitely.”</p>
<p>She laughed, a sound that Shinkai would remember until the day he died, “Oh dear, don’t let Trava hear you say that, it might bruise his ego.”</p>
<p>“Please, you and I both know nothing I could ever say would do anything to his ego.”</p>
<p>“True,” but then after a moment of though she added, “but then again, I wouldn’t be too sure.”</p>
<p>The silence that fell between them was comfortable now, everything that needed to be said had been said. Well, almost. But Shinkai didn’t want this moment to end so soon so he waited- he waited until her cigarette had almost burnt out before saying, “You can’t beat me with my own knowledge.”</p>
<p>She let out a short laugh, more cynical than he’d ever hear from her before but no less perfect. He wanted to hear what other laughs she had, what other sounds could be brought forth from those perfect lip- but they didn’t have the time for that. Yes, that was the excuse Shinkai would stick with. </p>
<p>“We’ll see about that,” she dropped her cigarette onto the floor and extinguished it with the toe of her boot, “See you in the arena.”</p>
<p>Shinkai was about to speak, to say something akin to see you there or something lame like that, but then Mikuru’s soft lips pressed lightly to the hard shell of the side of his head and Shinkai’s brain shut completely off. When he finally got over the shock of Mikuru kissing him he was all alone. Mikuru was gone, again, and all he was left with was the feeling of her lips and the smell of Trava’s cigarettes. </p>
<p>“Yeah, guess I will.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>After watching Redline I found Trava Fist Planet and I loved it so so much and was really sad at how short it was. All the characters were so good and the relationships between the characters had so much potential, so I wanted to expand on that. Also Shinkai's crush on Mikuru is really cute. </p>
<p>Hope y'all liked it!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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